Next Gen zombies. What can we realistically expect?

[Chopper]

I don't care what new stuff they bring in. I only care that theres a big button somewhere that allows me to turn it all off and go back to standard proper zombies.

Mic only lobbies would be nice too.

[Electric Jesus]

There are some things that require team coordination that I like. "NO DONT TELEPORT YET I'M ALMOST TO THE STAGE!" Ah good times. But I always say Zombies is in away a kind of sandbox-y game. You can't win, and there are just a handful of core mechanics thrown at you, and you just do whatever you want from there. Creating some optional objectives is fun and adds to what the player feels compelled to accomplish. But if it feels mandatory it just takes the player out of control. I don't mind them, but it seems like they are de-evolving. It used to be "link these teleporters and you get PaP." (For example.) But now we go to moon, and Shang, and MotD, and the same old mechanic is harder to acquire.

I don't mind new objective-y stuff though and rather enjoy it. A team coordinated staff upgrade adventure is awesome. But that's because the result is a cool new awesome thing. It goes back to what I was saying about PaP being taken for granted. One of the reasons I think we need a second one is that over time it has gotfen harder to acquire but hasn't been more beneficial to compensate.

And the reason why easter eggs are losing their spark is because they are so in your face. Every map you join has Maxis or Richtofen saying "alright bitches quit your gigglin' RIGHT NOW, we got stuff to do." It is all too "on rails," which as I said defeats the purpose of the game, which is to kill zombies however the hell you want. On TranZit Maxis actually dictates steps to you somewhat. Sure Gersch whispers to you at the beginning of Ascension, but it's mysterious and 2spoopy4me.

Like I said, treyarch took a step, hoping it would be in the right direction. That was good for experimenting and seeing what the community wants, spawning discussions exactly like this one. I think maybe a tentative half step back would be perfect.

[DeathBringerZen]

The thunder gun eventually just made zombies get blown out of the way to clear a path. The scavenger just started making crawlers.

 

The Thundergun is permenantly 1 hit kill. You only need to watch any of the world record runs on Ascension or Kino to see that is the case. I cannot say for sure that the Scavenger is 1 hit kill permenantly as that map has a low WR of only 83 due to the map exclusively featuring a higher zombie count per round than any other and serious frame rate issues past round 70 so it is probably the hardest map to reach 100 on (impossible probably).

 

When zombies are blown away but get back up again when using the Thundergun it is because you aimed it either above or below the zombies chest. Chest shots seems to work the best for an effective shot.

[Chopper]

Its impossible to get to 100 on COTD.

I've posted the numbers a few times in the past and will find them if anyone wants them. My calculations said its impossible. On a normal map round 79 is 12 way to 100 time wise using insta kill wonder weapons.

[MegaAfroMan]

I don't know how to come up with realistic expectations, as I have little to no knowledge of coding and the limitations of certain bits of hardware.

That being said I do know some of the new hardware specs, and what newer games have been able to do with such.

We are going from I believe 2 gb RAM to 8 RAM. In games like Minecraft this contributed to a nearly 36x world size increase. The graphics are lower, but it is a ram intensive game. I can assume that we can have a TranZit sized map as densely packed with features as Die Rise and have issues only perhaps in network speed limitations rather than in RAM and processing power.

The processor is stronger, I want to say it is a quad coming from a single in the previous gen, but it might be an octo even. Previous gen migt have been dual. I cannot remember that spec as well.

But we can have more happening at once, so more zombies, or more moving things, more physics effects.

Video card is more powerful, of course, granted I thought I heard the One was using a GPU which I don't really know much about.

In the end however, Treyarch is still limited by the past because this is new territory. You get used to writing and making games designed formore limited specs long enough, you probably won't be able to think of enough new stuff to make full use of all your available power.

We'll probably see better graphics, more motion and physics, possibly more entities present in a map, and better lighting. We'll also see an increase in draw distance for detailed textures on larger maps.

[The Clay Bird]

Pretty much agree with what most people have said regarding forced teamwork to get to the pack-a-punch, and the "forced" and guided EE's.  Shangri La and Moon should be the blueprint for EE's.  And like @Electric Jesus said, I think that a good benchmark for an EE is that the map should still play perfectly, even if you didn't know the EE existed. I guess what I mean by that is that the map should be designed with the assumption that the EE will not be completed.  Then the EE can be designed to inspire total teamwork and cooperation, and provide a reward that perfectly complements the map.  

 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE doing the EE's but I also like being able to play the map without doing the EE as well

[Hells Warrrior]

Oh I agree  Clay, you don't need to do the EE on any of the maps - it shouldn't be forced in your face. However - clues to the EE should be present, little things said here and there.

 

I think in BOII they tried something to help the new zombie players, and it worked but might not have been to everyones taste.

Edited January 12, 2015 by Hells Warrrior
edited should to shouldn't

[The Clay Bird]

Oh I agree  Clay, you don't need to do the EE on any of the maps - it should be forced in your face. However - clues to the EE should be present, little things said here and there.

 

I think in BOII they tried something to help the new zombie players, and it worked but might not have been to everyones taste.

 

I would agree, and maybe honestly that is the direction they want to head in, making the game more about the EE's in almost a Campaign fashion (like the introduction of game ending EE's)  Maybe with next gen they will be able to have their cake and eat it too, but it is pretty clear that in BO2 they were REALLY encouraging players to do the EE with things like the Bank and Weapon locker to help people get started.  

 

Im sure a lot of people like it that way, but its not surprising to me that many of us "zombie purists" would prefer it to be a little more cryptic yet rewarding

[Stop Mocking Me0]

I think future maps should be nothing like BO2 maps. There is NO fun in finding an easter egg that's being SCREAMED at us. Not even the ascension easter egg did that. 

[Slade]

At this point, I stopped calling them easter eggs and just used the term Treyarch has used ever since Ascension: side quests.

It's not really an easter egg when the first thing you hear when you jump in a game is some annoyingly loud angry random dude stuck in who know's where giving you his to-do list.

 

Easter eggs are inside jokes and hidden messages; like the notes scattered around origins and the songs.
Side Quests are optional additional objectives that give you some sort of reward for completing them.
 

With that said, please add some in-game option to turn them off in future maps.

[BestOfAllTime32]

By the end of BO2, the EE became less of a side quest, and more of a necessity. Try and play any game with randoms, and see if you're not doing at least part of the EE. COTD had it right imo, in terms of the EE. A one time thing that gave you an advantage going forward, but once you did it one time that was it.

The worst thing that can keep happening is tying weapons to the EE. It's not enjoyable every single game having to spend an hour getting the staffs set up.

KISS, keep it simple stupid seems pretty appropriate for zombies. Let people that want to do the EE do it, and let others kill zombies with no impedance to their progress.

Until BO2, I had never done an EE, I couldn't care less about the storyline in all honesty.

[The Clay Bird]

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

[BestOfAllTime32]

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

What happens to Mule kick?

[Guest]

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

 

Have you seen TMG Standoff? Its a custom map that has something like this.

[The Clay Bird]

 

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

 

Have you seen TMG Standoff? Its a custom map that has something like this.

 

 

 

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

What happens to Mule kick?

 

 

Don't need it anymore. Makes room for another perk

 

 

Here's kind of a weird idea i just had.  what if there were weapon classes.  So let's say you can carry 3 guns from the start, but only one gun of each class.  So you can carry one heavy weapon, like a WW a LMG, death machine, etc.  a middle class like a AR shot gun or SMG, and then a pistol/ballistic knife/ray gun   

 

idk just a thought that would allow more weapons to be used and become relevant

 

Have you seen TMG Standoff? Its a custom map that has something like this.

 

 

nope, don't have a PC so ihavent seen any custom maps

[Stop Mocking Me0]

I really don't think we need to change the basis of the game. You should still start with a weak pistol and earn your way up. What I do believe is that everything else can be upgraded or changed. 

[The Clay Bird]

I really don't think we need to change the basis of the game. You should still start with a weak pistol and earn your way up. What I do believe is that everything else can be upgraded or changed. 

 

Yeah, i was just kind of spitballing an idea i had, but I usually like you subscribe to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" thought

[BestOfAllTime32]

Mule Kick is far less limiting though.

As for if it ain't broke don't fix it, it doesn't mean something can't be improved. Look at the jump from Nacht to Verruct. Zombies was fine, but now the things added in have become mainstays.

[Guest]

To be honest I don't understand how this post is different from the other 2015 zombies posts, all of its just ideas people have for stuff they came up with, not what will realistically be in next gen zombies. I'm not saying anyone's ideas are bad but it seems like people aren't sticking to the topic title.

The discussions are really good but maybe the topic title should be changed?

Edited January 15, 2015 by Nightmare Voyager

[The Clay Bird]

To be honest I don't understand how this post is different from the other 2015 zombies posts, all of its just ideas people have for stuff they came up with, not what will realistically be in next gen zombies. I'm not saying anyone's ideas are bad but it seems like people aren't sticking to the topic title.

The discussions are really good but maybe the topic title should be changed?

 

As it's my topic, i would honestly prefer to just shift conversation back to the topic of what new things we can expect specifically because of next gen stuff

[Guest]

I noticed nobody has mentioned who we can realistically expect to play as after the backlash of Black Ops 2.

[BestOfAllTime32]

Hopefully it's the O4, or a new N4. The BO2 gang was pathetic...

Any thought on the possibility of an improved player count? Given BF4 moving to higher player numbers on new gen, it might be possible.

An 8 player coop mode could be successful, or a higher player count grief.

[Guest]

I don't think they will change zombies from 4 players to 8, its just not how zombies was meant to be. 4 new characters are definitely going to happen in my eyes, but the O4 have to make more of a return. I found it nice having the break of the O4, it made Origins all the more exciting,but having to wait again won't work.

[The Clay Bird]

I noticed nobody has mentioned who we can realistically expect to play as after the backlash of Black Ops 2.

 

That's a great question!

 

If i were a betting man, I'd put money on the O4.  Seems like a lot of folks were really underwhelmed by the N4, and i'd be pretty surprised if they introduced a new new 4.  Or perhaps (and im being overly optimistic now) we'll get 2 maps per pack and will track both groups' progress

[Guest]

I noticed nobody has mentioned who we can realistically expect to play as after the backlash of Black Ops 2.

 

That's a great question!

 

If i were a betting man, I'd put money on the O4.  Seems like a lot of folks were really underwhelmed by the N4, and i'd be pretty surprised if they introduced a new new 4.  Or perhaps (and im being overly optimistic now) we'll get 2 maps per pack and will track both groups' progress

Oh if only that were so, we could even have a map that connected both groups in the end, making what they boh do important.